Marine propellers are often damaged during use by striking objects in the water, such as rocks, lake bed bottoms, and the like. Moreover, the performance of a marine propeller can be changed by modifying the pitch of the blades of a propeller. Repairing a propeller or changing the pitch of a propeller blade often requires bending a portion of the blade a desired amount. This is often accomplished by pounding on the blade using a hammer. Unfortunately, using a hammer can impart too much or too little force on the blade resulting in too much or too little bending. As a result, repairing a blade or changing the blade shape using a hammer is often a long a tedious process requiring a great deal of trial an error.
One known apparatus, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,856, incorporates an arbor press having a single actuator that can be used to bend a very large propeller blade still affixed to a ship. The arbor applies a constant force to the propeller blade. Unfortunately, this particular apparatus is of little use for blades forming part of smaller propellers, such as propellers having a diameter less than 42 inches, or propellers that have been removed from the vessel.
Another known apparatus incorporates opposing actuators that are movable in both X and Y directions. The opposing actuators, however, extend in parallel directions only. Thus limiting the direction of the forces that can be imparted onto the propeller blade. A complex system that simultaneously rotates the opposing actuators about the propeller attempts to overcome this deficiency. Unfortunately, the complex system significantly increases the cost and complexity of this apparatus. Accordingly, a need exists for a propeller repair apparatus that is simple and inexpensive, yet can impart non-parallel opposing forces on propeller blade.